The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-05
MINOR MENTION.

THERE Is something unspeakly mean In the ex-
tortions which some wealthy corporations prac-
tice on their rmployes Admitting that they
must have profits, it surely is not necessary to
grind and rob their employees the way some of
them do. This community has had an insight
into this kind of business lately in the extortions
practiced the street-car drivers in caps, whips,
etc. 1t seems the sleepngcar companies prac-
. tce the same kind Of a sweating process their
porters, one of whom, writing Chicago pa
per. says:
1.-THE Pullman company charges its porters $24
for their summer uniform and $28 for the win
ter The same uniforms made of as good
material and shapeier cut, can be bought for
$1s and $40. 1t charges the porters s. 25 for
cap that can be bought for 81. 25 elsewhere. The
Wagner company charges US $23 for a coat and
pair of pants which we can get made, II We
were allowed to go outside of the conp.nys
tailor for S18 1t charges US So 75 for our win
ter caps and 81 % for our summer caps We
could get the same or better caps outside for
$125 The Woodruff company compels its por-
ters to pay the company's tailor So. so for cap
and $40 and $28 for uniforms. We have found.
by investigation, that the same, or as good cap
and uniforms, can be bought for 81 % and SIS
and $40 These companies all insist upon hav
ing our uniforms made by their 1.-THE company's)
tailors. The Pullman company has its tailors
stamp the tailors name on the pantaloon but
TONS When the inspector comes around he has
the privilege of commanding the porter to un
button his clothes and show up his buttons. If
they have not A. A, ETC., stamped on them the
porter is either discharged or laid off ten or
twenty days"
This is outrageous. It has long been known
that corporations have 10 souls, but they have
generally been credited with sense
than this system of stty extortion
would imply. Such practices make enemies of
employees, and in the long react against the
company. Aside from the meanness and cruel
tv of it. it is poor business sense
A STORY from Springfield. O., duly avouched
says that while returning from a party few
nights ago party of young folks were laughing
and having good time, whom one of the party,
a young lady, laughed SO heartily at some joke
that she dislocated her jaw. A young man
rushed for the nearest doctors Office and took
the physician with him to set the jaw. This
was done in an instant, and the doctor left
He had hardly gotten out of sight when the
young lady commenced to laugh again and dis
located the jaw a second time. The young man
who had gone to summon the doctor then
sayed to set it. and as a result he dslocated the
other side. He grew more frightened than ever,
and rushed off second time for the doctor.
The latter came in an hour, and the dislocaton
was corrected without further mishap. Most
people would call that pretty serious advent
ure. but probably the young lady would insist
that she enjawed herself.
INTELLECTUAL circles of Pittsburg have
perienced the most intense excitement for some
days over the solution of a mathematical prob
lem which was set for them by enter prisng
shoe merchant, who, in his zeal for the advance
rnent of knowledge, went so far as to offer $40
to the person who should first solve it. The
puzzle follows: Take the figures 1, 2 3.
4, 5, 6, Z. s. 9. o and add them together to make
100 without using any figure twice. AL Pitts
burg Immediately began ciphering this with
feverish anxiety; it not the money that
tempted them. of course. but merely intel
lectual curiosity to discover how the thing was
DONE Men, women and children engaged in
arithuetical computations and continued them
at all hours and in all places. Business men
ceased to reckon their profits while they
worked on this problem; women forgot to add
up their market money while they tried to count
100 on their fingers; the children could not be
made to get their lessons while this great ques-